Kimi Raikkonen’s Iconic McLaren Is Going On Auction for $3,500,000, 17 Years After He Abandoned It to Enjoy a Yacht Party

An iconic car belonging to Kimi Raikkonen is going up for sale in an auction very soon. The car is none other than the one involved in a well-documented infamous incident from 2006 and stands at an estimated value of $2,500,000 to $3,500,000.

During the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix, while driving for McLaren, Raikkonen suffered a mechanical failure as his car’s heat shield caught on fire mid-race. Upon getting out of the car, the Finnish driver opted against going to the team’s garage. He instead went to his private yacht, which was docked nearby, to have a beer in his hot tub with his shirt off.

17 years after Raikkonen’s iconic moment, the car will be sold via auction during the 2023 season-ending race in Abu Dhabi on November 25.

Kimi Raikkonen’s 2006 McLaren going up for auction

A team comprising Adrian Newey, Paddy Lowe, Tim Goss, Mike Coughlan designed the famed MP4/21. It sported a Mercedes-Benz V8 engine which sported a displacement of 2.4 ltrs. The car produced over 700 ps of max power and produced max rev of over 18500 rpm.

With Kimi Raikkonen at the wheel of one car, Juan Pablo Montoya took the other’s charge. However, ten races into the season, Pedro de la Rosa replaced Montoya. Raikkonen took six podiums in 18 races, achieving P2 twice. Unfortunately, he didn’t win a race that year. His car had to retire on six occasions during the season. The second car retired on seven occasions in the season while achieving three podiums without any wins.

Following the 2006 season, Raikkonen moved to Ferrari, winning the driver’s championship the very next year, edging out Lewis Hamilton by one point.

Once the 2006 season ended, two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen tested the MP4/21 with the hopes of making an F1 return. However, the dream could not materialize. The car ended up on display at Beaulieu’s National Motor Museum after its retirement.

Not the only car on auction in Abu Dhabi

Raikkonen’s MP4/21 will see itself being auctioned in November, but it won’t be the only race car that will be up for grabs in Abu Dhabi. The 1978 John Player Special Lotus-Cosworth Type 79, which won Mario Andretti his title, will also feature on the auction list. The estimated amount of the car comes at around $6.5 to $9.5 million.

 

#ThrowbackThursday to the all-conquering 1955 Mercedes-Benz W196R grand prix car. #f1 #classiccars pic.twitter.com/UKXg1Mbfiy

— EB_Bob (@EB_Bob) April 20, 2023

While both these cars feature a massive price tag, they pale in comparison to the most expensive F1 car ever auctioned. The Mercedes W196R, which earned the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio his second of five F1 titles in 1954, stands as the most expensive racing car ever auctioned. Bonhams auctioned the car in July 2013 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed for a whopping $24.8 million.